Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s week in Tuscany came down to three women and only two roses, and now The Bachelor star is revealing why he decided to send Bekah Martinez home.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
"I wanted to try and have some fun and ease the tension, but we all knew how high the stakes were," Arie wrote in his People blog.
Arie decided to give his first rose to Kendall, a 26-year-old creative director from Los Angeles, CA, which probably came as a surprise to fans since the couple never even enjoyed a full one-on-one date this season.
"As always, my conversation with Kendall was fun and interesting. Other than worries about her readiness for marriage, our relationship was on such a good track. Our chemistry was off the charts," Arie explained.
"But I needed to make sure that our relationship wasn't just about chemistry. In the past, I've had relationships based solely on our physical connection, and didn't want to repeat my mistakes."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' SPOILERS: ARIE LUYENDYK JR.'S WINNER, RUNNER-UP PICK, AND FINAL 4 -- PLUS IS HE STILL ENGAGED TO HIS FINAL BACHELORETTE?!
However, Kendall proved to be deep, intellectual and analytical. She and Arie also talked about how she could potentially move to Scottsdale, AZ, in order to be close to him. The pair were on the same page that they didn't want to try to make a long-distance relationship work.
"After we both acknowledged our willingness to work through our logistical issues and that we felt our connection was deeper than just a physical one, I knew I wanted to give her a rose," Arie said.
Arie's decision ultimately made a three-on-one date an even more awkward two-on-one date between Tia, a 26-year-old physical therapist from Weiner, AR, and Bekah, a 22-year-old nanny from Los Angeles.
Tia worried Bekah would get the rose and ultimately break Arie's heart, because she believed the charismatic nanny lacked life experience and a genuine desire to get married and settle down. But Bekah felt hurt and misunderstood, saying that people misjudged her based on her age.
Not only did Tia voice her concerns about Bekah to Arie, but she also admitted to the young bachelorette what was said in order to not come across conniving or two-faced.
"Watching everything back, I now understand the drama between Bekah and Tia. I respected Tia so much for coming to me with her issues and for being mature enough to tell Bekah that she had done so. That shows huge strength of character and a sincere desire to have my back," Arie said.
FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!
Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!
"She felt that Bekah was there for the wrong reasons, and wanted to make sure I didn't get hurt. I love that she was strong enough to confront Bekah face-to-face. I also understand why Bekah was so upset. It never feels good when someone isn't seeing you for your true intentions."
That evening, Tia reiterated to Arie how she was having feelings of falling in love with him.
"I knew I wasn't ready to say goodbye. We always had so much fun together and she was always the first person I wanted to talk to when I had a rough day," Arie admitted. "I could imagine our life together and felt like she was really ready to make a marriage work. I couldn't wait to meet her family and see Weiner, Arkansas."
Arie therefore decided to send Bekah home -- a move that likely shocked viewers and Arie himself since she had been a frontrunner from the get-go.
"I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to Bekah. During our breakup, she was so gracious and mature that it reminded me of all her amazing qualities. Bekah always saw me for who I am and always called me out on my flaws," Arie revealed.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PRO DANCERS: SEE WHO IS DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM! (PHOTO GALLERY)
"Even though she was young, our connection was real. Ultimately, I said goodbye not because we weren't a good match, but because I didn't think she was ready for marriage and because my relationships with other women felt stronger."
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!
ADVERTISEMENT
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
